Sermon Video

Monday, October 31, 2011

Daniel Part 5 - Faith to Endure

Daniel Part 5 -
Faith to Endure
Daniel Chapter 7



In our final study in the book of Daniel, we look at Daniel's vision of four beasts in chapter 7 - the beginning of the second half of the book which focuses on prophecy. Just as the first half of the book proved the sovereignty of God in current events, the second half establishes the sovereignty of God over everything that will happen in the future. We are reminded of the certainty of our salvation despite the hostility of powers opposed to the rule of God through Christ. As many churches recognise "Suffering Church Sunday", we are urged to support Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith, to be prepared for the ways we might encounter opposition, and to be encouraged that God's rule in Christ is certain and is coming.

Daniel Part 4 - Devotion

Daniel Part 4 -
Devotion
Daniel Chapter 6
Chris Carrie

The Story of Daniel in the Lion's Den is a favourite for many people, but sometimes we miss the real value of the story for us today. When Daniel found himself in a tough situation he didn't need to decide what to do - that decision had already been made. He simply continued his devotion to God by praying three times a day. He knew that God is sovereign. He had already decided that devotion to God was more important than loyalty to anyone or anything else. He would have already paid a price for that attitude in other ways, so when the big test came he was ready.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Daniel Part 3 - Courage and Compassion


Daniel pt 3
Daniel Chapters 3&4

In Daniel chapters 3 and 4 we read of the ongoing saga of King Nebuchadnezzar's realisation of who God is. Having already discovered that God is the revealer of mysteries, Nebuchadnezzar now discovers that God is mighty to save and that God is sovereign over all other rulers and authorities. Through painful discipline he comes to a place of humbling Himself and exalting the God who is above all.

There are many lessons to be learnt from the story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in King Nebuchadnezzar's court.  We see great courage in the way these men stood for God and would not allow their lifestyle or their worship to be corrupted.  We see great wisdom in the way they conducted themselves and in their dependence upon God.  We see great faith in God to come through in seemingly impossible situations.  We see great submission both to God and to the human authorities that God placed over them for His own purposes.  We see great compassion in the way that Daniel desired for the conquerer of his people - King Nebuchadnezzar - to repent of his sins in order to avert the discipline God had warned him of.

However the Book of Daniel is not about any of the human characters - it is first and foremost a book about God.  Coming to see and respond to His sovereignty, His power, His wisdom and His grace is the point that this book seeks to bring it's readers to.  It reminds us that even the most powerful and proud - like King Nebuchadnezzar - will one day be humbled and brought to the realisation that God is over all and is right when He judges.  The challenge for us is to stand with courage and compassion to give every person the opportunity to acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord while they have time to be reconciled to Him.  It is a terrible thing to come under the judgement of the King of Kings if you have refused His offer of forgiveness.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Daniel Part 2 - Wisdom from Above


Daniel Pt 2
Daniel 2
09/10/2011

The story of Daniel 2 is a great illustration of some biblical principles about wisdom:
Wisdom Key #1: Wisdom is knowledge well applied
   James 2:18-19 - Wisdom is not about what you know, it's how you apply your knowledge to life in a way that produces blessing.
Wisdom Key #2: Wisdom is hard to find
    Proverbs 28 -  Wisdom is worth more than material treasures, but much harder to find!
Wisdom Key #3: Wisdom comes from God
   Colossians 2:2b-3; 1 Corinthians 2:10b-12; James 1:5-8 - True wisdom is found in Christ, brought to us through the Spirit, and given generously by the Father.  However God will not give wisdom to those who are double-minded - who have not decided whether or not they will submit themselves to His ways or whether they will choose instead to follow other counsellors.
Wisdom Key #4:  Wisdom grows... if you feed it!
      Proverbs 4, Psalm 119:1-5, 12-16, Hebrews 5:14 - Daniel and his friends were prepared when the crisis came.  They had learned to trust God and God had been pleased to grant them wisdom.  When the crisis came they knew from experience where to turn and what to do.  Similarly, if we train ourselves in godliness, applying God's truth to our lives as a regular discipline, then not only will our everyday lives be transformed but we will be able to face the unexpected crises when they occur.  Wisdom is not something you seek out when you need it, it is something you cultivate and grow in as you feed on God's Word and live by His Spirit.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Daniel Part 1 - Purity



Daniel Pt 1
Purity
Daniel 1
02/10/2011

1)     Introduction – Why Study Daniel?
a)     We’ve just been looking at God’s instruction for the key relationships in our lives: Husbands & Wives, Parents & Children and Masters & Slaves (Workplace relationships - the “machine” people).
b)     As we looked at these relationships we discovered that authority and submission is a key focus in God’s instruction to us.  That’s something that many of us found either very difficult to accept or very challenging to put into practice!  By nature we rebel against authority.  By nature we abuse the authority we are given.
c)      Looking at the life of Daniel is going to help us with that.  We will see some of the principles we’ve discussed from the New Testament beautifully illustrated by this character from the Old Testament. 
So we are going to learn some great life lessons from Daniel.  We’re also going to see God glorified in these stories in some very exciting ways.  You will come to worship God more deeply and trust Him more completely as a result of what we study together.  Both of these things will help you to obey Him more fully despite the fact that our sinful nature and the values of our society are pushing us to do the opposite of what God actually commands.
2)     Understanding the Story
a)     The Historical Background (Daniel 1:1-2)
This is about what God is doing in history (v.2).
Notice that God gave Jehoiakim over to Nebuchadnezzar - and not just Jehoiakim, but the articles from the temple that were carried away at that time.  The way people thought back then, this was a sign that the god of the Babylonians was more powerful than the God of the Jews.  Worship artifacts from the Jewish temple would be placed in the temple of Marduk (often simply called “Bel” - meaning “Lord”)
So what has God actually been doing?
The fall of Samaria in 722BC - God disciplined the northern kingdom of Israel just as He promised to do so.  The Assyrians came and overthrew them, dispersing the survivors across the breadth of their empire.

The southern kingdom of Judah was delivered from the Assyrian army during the ministry of Isaiah, under the reign of the good king Hezekiah.
The angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrians during the night - (3xAustralia’s defence forces).
You'd think that they would have realised then that there was only one true God and one who they could entrust themselves to. 
The last kings of Judah (just some key ones)
i)       Manasseh - (Hezekiah's sone & Great-grandfather of Jehoiakim) really bad news!
He sacrificed his own son in the fire to the false god Molech.  He led the whole nation in these detestable practices, including setting up idol worship in the temple of God.  He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood.  God announced that through the prophets that He would not spare Judah from judgement, but that He would clean out Jerusalem like you or I would clean out a dish.
ii)     Josiah - the last good king of Judah
He was Manasseh’s grandson, but while his father Amon followed Manasseh’s example, Josiah was almost a complete opposite.  We don’t know much about the early years of his reign, but  after ruling for 18 years he organised repair work on the Temple of God.  Possibly like most other kings he maintained places of worship for all the common gods so in order to please the people and appease the gods.  As the temple was being repaired the book of the Law was recovered, and it completely changed Josiah’s life.
God responded to Josiah’s repentance and faith by promising to not bring about the judgement of Judah until after Josiah’s lifetime.  Josiah set about reforming the nation and did a heroic job of putting down the evil practices that were being carried out.
Then tragedy struck.  Pharoah Neco was advancing to the North to help the Assyrians fight off the emerging Babylonian empire, who had teamed up with a whole bunch of migrating tribes that together we call the Medes.  It was a struggle of superpowers and Josiah got caught up in it.  He went out to intercept Neco and was killed in battle.
iii)   Jehoiakim - Josiah’s son. 
He ignored the warnings of God’s prophets including Jeremiah, and within 3 years God had used the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar to begin the process of cleaning out Jerusalem as He had promised.  Jerusalem was conquered and many of the brightest and best of the nobles were taken away to serve new masters.  This is the event referred to in Daniel 1:1.
This happened several more times before the last king of Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar about 20 years later.  Nebuchadnezzar came and destroyed the city and the temple, killing most of the inhabitants and taking a remnant off into captivity.  The “dish” of Jerusalem was thoroughly cleaned out.
Well, that last part has not happened yet, but the best and brightest of Judah have been taken away to captivity in Babylon.  That's where the story of Daniel begins.
b)     The Young Men (Daniel 1:3-7)
Let’s get to know these young men a little better.  They are of the noble class and therefore well educated in the Hebrew Scriptures.  Physically and mentally they are the best of the best (v4).
This talented and influential group are removed from their own country where they could be of real help to their people, and they are taken off to serve the enemy of their people.  They are educated in the language and literature of the Babylonians in order to be of use to them.
They are being shaped to think, speak, write and act like Babylonians.
We are introduced to four of them:
1.      Daniel, whose name means ‘God is my judge’;
2.      Hananiah, ‘Yah has been gracious’;
3.      Mishael, ‘Who is what God is?’ and
4.      Azariah, ‘Yah has helped’
But has God really helped them?  Has He been gracious to them? Is He really above all other gods?  Is He really the judge?
I could understand it if they were having some pretty strong doubts about God right now.  I could understand it if all the things they were forced to submit to began to influence them to doubt God and embrace a different way of thinking and living.  To serve other gods.  After all, it seemed to be working for the Babylonians.  Why not follow after their example?
It’s alright for you and I to look over a hundred and fifty years of Israelite history and see what God was doing but imagine what it was like for these guys who were actually part of it.  What’s your relationship with God like when things aren’t going well for you?  When you can’t see God’s big picture but you know that it’s not feeling too good for you right now?
In the last few weeks families in our church have been grieved by the passing of loved ones through cancer and a car accident.  Others are in the midst of battles with health, with finances and other circumstances of life.
You will probably not find yourself in the same situation that Daniel and his friends were in, but you will go through tough times.  You will go through times that cause you to wonder where God is and what He is doing.  What brings us through times like those?
As a final insult these young men had their names changed.  Their very identity was changed.  Names which referred to the God of Israel were changed to names which referenced the gods of Babylon.
I wonder in the midst of this whether these young Jewish men were comforted by words they would have learnt as children from the book of Proverbs.
Proverbs 16:4
4 The Lord works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster. [1]
I wonder if they would have recalled all the warnings of God’s holy prophets – even back to the time of Moses – warning of the consequences of disobedience for their nation.
I wonder if they would have realised that what they were caught up in was something of God’s bigger plan.  Their captivity looked like a victory of pagan gods over the One True God, but in reality it was the Lord working everything out for his own ends – just as He had foretold centuries earlier.  Just as He had repeated through prophet after prophet, including the prophet Jeremiah who was still ministering in Jerusalem trying to get through to the stubborn, wicked kings in authority there.
Even when it looks like Nebuchadnezzar is in charge, God is really in charge.  Even when it looks like the wicked have won, God has a day of disaster in mind for them.  He has a day of salvation in mind for His people.
Daniel and his friend seem to have grasped this.  They seem to have held on to the fact that God is really the One who is above all.  How do we know that?
c)      The Test of Authority (Daniel 1:8-16)
The issue about the food and wine is a fascinating one to explore.  Some people get too caught up in the whole “vegetables and water” thing, and think that somehow God is revealing the secret to a healthy diet here.  He’s not – in fact the language makes clear the fact that Daniel was asking for inferior food.  The food itself is not the point, the point is that they chose to submit themselves to a higher authority than the king.
1 John 3:2-3
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2 Corinthians 7:1
Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
When you see God as the ultimate authority in your life, and when you trust God to make good on His promises, the result is a commitment to purity. 
Daniel resolved that eating the king’s food would break the dietary laws God had given His people.  It would “defile” them.  So he humbly asked for permission to be different.  To not do the same things everyone else did.  To not eat the same food.
It’s almost like he’s saying: “God has put us in your power, so we have to speak like you, listen to your music, read your books, learn your superstitions, dress like you and even have your names; but let us at least have this – that we can eat our own food.”
d)     The Fruit of Submission (Daniel 1:18-21)
Daniel and his friends submitted to the human authority God placed over them as well as to the greater authority of God himself.  The result of their submission was that God exalted them. 
They kept themselves pure in God’s service.  They learned all the wisdom the Babylonians had to offer, but they didn’t allow themselves to be changed by it.  Instead, they showed that God’s wisdom far outshone anything the Babylonians themselves could muster. 
The popular thinking of the day would have said that the Babylonian gods had proven their superiority over the god of the Jews.  The golden relics from the temple in Jerusalem now stood as plunder in the temples of Babylon.
Yet God was actually doing something unexpected.  He was spreading His own fame. 
The disobedience of the Jews meant that they were not the beacon to the nations that God wanted them to be.  Yet even as He disciplined them He was working through some of them to prove that real wisdom only comes from Him.  Those who kept themselves pure in His service were used as His witnesses to a dark and hostile world.
Verse 21 is significant – it mentions that Daniel remained in the king’s court until the 1st year of Cyrus.  Well, he hung around longer than that, but a different point is being made here.  The point is that Daniel was still there when Cyrus - leader of the Persians - overthrew the Babylonian empire.  The powers that seemed to be in control were only temporary.  The Babylonian gods were shown to be not so mighty.  God’s plans kept moving apace, and the Babylonians met their “day of destruction” just as God had prophesied. 
3)     Applying the Lessons
a)     God is Sovereign.
The same God who orchestrates the rise and fall of empires is at work in your life and in mine.  Sometimes we fail to recognise the scale of what it is God is doing – we find it hard to see the bigger picture.  Remember His sovereignty.  Read Ephesians 1-3 over and over again so that you really get it.  God is in Charge.
If you’re struggling to understand the why or what or where questions, remember that God is God and you are not.  We simply cannot grasp what God knows and what He does.  How is it that there is a being who knows every detail of every person who has ever lived and will ever live?  How is it that He can be tuned in to what’s going on in the secret places of your heart, at the same time as being tuned in to another 7 billion or so?
How is it that while doing this He also sustains the physical universe?  The sheer immensity of the universe boggles our minds.
How is it that even before creating our world He prepared good works in advance for you and I?
How is it that a being so far beyond our comprehension chose to become one of us and to serve us by giving His life for us?
We need to understand the sovereignty of God in terms of who He is and what He has chosen to do.
Understanding the sovereignty of God causes us to humble ourselves – to stop telling Him how He ought to run things, and instead reverently purify ourselves in order to become useful servants of His.
When God puts you in a place of submission to others, submit well, to His glory.
When God puts you in a place of authority over others, use that authority to serve them well, to His glory.
Because regardless of the position you hold, God is over all.  God is in charge.
b)     So Purify Yourself
What are the things that threaten to defile you?  Spend some time evaluating what you are allowing yourself to take in.
Daniel had the discernment to recognise where the authority of God in his life meant that he needed to be resist the influence of the dominant culture.  We need to do the same thing.
Daniel and his friends kept themselves pure and as a result they stood out from their peers as men of godly wisdom and character.  Are you standing out as a person of godly wisdom and character?  It starts by choosing well what you take in.



[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Pr 16:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
 a Or when it is made known